Local Lawmakers Weigh In On Akin’s Controversial Comment

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Missouri Republican Representative Todd Akin now says he was wrong with his remarks Sunday that pregnancy from rape was rare because, “if it’s a legitimate rape,” he said, “the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

Delaware’s Attorney General Beau Biden, also a democrat, calls the comments “unbelievable, and obviously ludicrous.”

Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden gave his reaction to the comments while at a Veterans for Obama event Wednesday. He’s one of many democrats questioning a bill Akin and GOP Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan co-sponsored which used the term “forcible rape.”

“Rape is rape,” said Biden.

While Representative Akin says he got the medical facts wrong, he’s refusing to step out of Missouri’s U.S. Senate race despite calls from many in his party, including presidential candidate Mitt Romney, and Pennsylvania’s Republican Senator Pat Toomey.

“It’s just so indefensible and so wrong,” said Sen. Toomey.

While jobs and the economy were last week’s main focus, it seems this week abortion is becoming a campaign issue.

“I think this conversation will not stay on this topic. This is one individual who made an egregiously wrong statement that’s all it is,” said Toomey.

This isn’t the first time folks in Pennsylvania have heard remarks of this nature. Former State Representative Stephen Friend came under fire in the 80’s after he said a woman’s body can prevent pregnancy during rape.

“I gave – in 1988, in one interview, on one kilowatt radio station, which I would love to take back – I gave the wrong medical reason why it was rare,” said Friend, “I made a mistake, it doesn’t change the issue at all.” Friend held a press conference the next day to clear up his stance. “He made a mistake it happens,” said Friend.

Friend does believe democrats are pushing the issue for political gain, and said he wouldn’t be surprised if it backfired, “they’re taking this opportunity to jump all over him, and pound and pound and pound as they did with me. People finally say hey, wait a minute you’ve gone a bit too far, the person made a mistake,” said Friend.